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To be honest: I dislike writing an About Me page, as I feel strongly that Highlands Legal Solutions isn’t about me; it’s about the community I serve. I think, however, understanding my professional and personal background will help the community understand why I’ve undertaken this venture.

My LinkedIn profile is the “resume” version of me and covers my prior legal experience and military background. The basics are that I was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2015 after graduating from Florida International University College of Law and am currently a part-time Judge Advocate (i.e. military attorney) in the Army Reserves practicing legal assistance for military clients. I have practiced primarily in estate planning but have also done social security and VA disability law, family law, small business advice, and consumer assistance with debt issues. I’ve had a number of jobs – non-profit internships and private sector attorney and non-attorney jobs. I think my favorite positions – and also the positions where I learned the most – consisted of serving in company-level leadership for various units in the Active and Reserve Army.

At the company-level, an officer, whether as a platoon leader, executive officer, or commander, becomes an advocate for his or her Soldiers. My Soldiers went through many of the same problems that the everyday local community experiences: family disputes; career problems; financial strains; and threats of disability. My goal was to make sure that my Soldiers knew I’d go to bat for them.

I’ve been happily married for over ten years to my beautiful wife Gretchen, who is quite a triple threat: a firebrand Puerto Rican, diligent engineer, and up-and-coming playwright. I’ll try not to brag about her too much, but she is easy to brag about. My son Avi is just about four at this point and definitely taking after his mom’s good looks and charisma.

There’s a wealth gap in the United States that creates an inequality in access to law and justice. This isn’t merely a political question; it’s an issue of economics, policy, and culture. The American Bar Association’s World Justice Project noted in 2012 that while the United States obtains “high marks in the most dimensions of the rule of law,” the civil justice system remains “inaccessible to disadvantaged groups [. . . L]egal assistance is expensive or unavailable.” The gap is present in Florida as well, as free legal aid has only addressed about 20% of the legal needs of low-income populations, and middle-income families are stuck in a gap because they cannot qualify for free legal aid but cannot afford a private attorney.

After serving my country overseas in Iraq, getting law school paid 100% by the 9/11 GI Bill, gaining valuable experience in private and non-profit law firms, becoming trained as an Army Judge Advocate, and receiving the support and advice of my wonderful wife Gretchen, I opened Highlands Legal Solutions (“HLS”) in mid-2018. Following a model similar to a number of non-profit, “low bono” law firms and organizations out of Utah, Illinois, Texas, and across several law schools, HLS offers fees tailored to a client’s situation based on objective standards. Unlike the other firms and organizations, however, HLS is a Social Purpose law firm – a type of corporation that permits profit-seeking, avoids costly non-profit compliance issues, yet preserves the mission of charitable and public service projects.

I chose this hybrid model because I have worked in all types of profit and non-profit organizations – private law firms, non-profit organizations, state government, and federal government. I have also worked in many different levels and positions – as a customer service representative, information management assistant, military logistician, non-profit intern, elder law associate attorney, and company commander. HLS is an attempt to marry the best of each experience – the entrepreneurship of private organizations, the massive advantages of technology in the 21st century, the efficiency and urgency of combat logistics, the aspirational goals of non-profit organizations, and the processes of government work.

And as a self-proclaimed nerd who loves budgets, excel spreadsheets, calculators, and the Dave Ramsey-method of managing money (and is married to someone exactly the same way), I’ve kept my overhead very low so I can make sure you, the community, can benefit from the cost-savings and receive affordable legal services.

I’m starting right here in beautiful Polk County, Florida – a place that’s been my home for three years now which I’ve definitely grown to love and enjoy. I do house visits, phone conferences, coffee shop meetings, and even library get-togethers. Feel free to contact me and get an estimate for your case!

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Highlands Legal Solutions, P.A. ("Highlands Legal") is a for-profit, social purpose law firm organized under Chapter 621, Florida Statutes and Part II, Chapter 607, Florida Statutes. Highlands Legal is based in Polk County, Florida and provides legal services to clients primarily in Polk County, Florida and the surrounding counties.

The views and opinions expressed on this website are those of the owner and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of nor imply an endorsement by any agency or department of the federal government, State of Florida, or Florida Bar. No person or entity which appears in any marketing videos or photos on this website have endorsed Highlands Legal implicitly or expressly.

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